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QUERIMONIA

Date
1313
Archive
Generau d’Aran Archive
Document type
Textual
Reference code
CAT-AGA-190-71-T1-1
Link to the online document
Description

On August 23, 1313, King Jaume II granted the inhabitants of the Aran Valley the privilege known as Era Querimònia, a true Magna Carta that recognized and guaranteed the freedoms, customs and institutions specific to the Aran territory. This document became the legal basis of Aranese self-government for more than seven hundred years, and is an exceptional example of recognition of diversity within the Crown of Aragon. The Querimonia Era not only consolidated its own legal regime, but also preserved the cultural and linguistic identity of a mountain community, connected to the European currents of local freedoms and pactism. It is a living testimony of how the law could be a tool of cohesion and respect for plurality, and of how Catalonia and its monarchy knew how to integrate diverse territories into a shared political project.